


Code: Fallen

by o_Athazagoraphobia_o



Series: Violets that cut like glass [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Asexual Character, Avatar the Last Airbender, Blood, Bravery, Chara (Undertale) Has Their Own Body, Chara has a secret, Cliffhanger, Frisk doesn't really like chara, Frisk has a grudge, Gen, Integrity, Justice, Kindness, Panic Attack, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route, Resurrection, Science, Series, Six Souls - Freeform, Souls, asgore just wants his kids back, damn those government officials, fluff??, labs, part one, patience - Freeform, perseverance, purple hair, revival, shouting, there's an ending, uh oh here comes the government, you would look good with purple hair
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-08-25 14:32:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16662673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/o_Athazagoraphobia_o/pseuds/o_Athazagoraphobia_o
Summary: It's been six months since they've reached the surface, but they're just telling Frisk.Telling Frisk there's a way to save two SOULS, and that six have already awakened.But do they want these last two to really come back?





	1. You would

They told Frisk six months after they’d reached the surface with their families. Five months and three weeks after they’d first contacted government officials. Four months since Congress made the announcement that monster kind was indeed considered an equal race, and was to be treated as such. Three months since Alphys was granted a lab for “t-top secret inf-information!! I’m so-sorry, Frisk!” (Frisk noticed how Asgore and Sans said nothing). One month since they heard Toriel asking why Sans had gone back into the Underground and they wondered what was going on. One hour since Sans and Alphys called everyone, telling them to meet at Alphys’ and Undyne’s house.

 

41 seconds since they were told.

 

Frisk wasn’t sure if they heard it right. If it was a dream, or maybe a nightmare. They weren’t even sure if they heard anything at all - if it was all just a buzz in the back of their heads. Toriel was the first to move, her shaking hands lowering from her mouth.

 

“You’re trying to tell me,” She started out slowly. “That my son- my children are alive?”

 

“Y-yes. I mean- we’re work-king on it, we have a mac-machine and everything we ju-just wanted to tell you b-beforehand-” Toriel cut Alphys off smoothly.

 

“You plan on using some untested machine on my children?” Her voice is low, but her gaze is locked with Asgore’s, and fear glimmers deep within them.

 

“actually, it’s tested.” Even Frisk stiffens at those words.

 

“On who?” This time, it’s Undyne speaking, staring at Alphys. There’s nothing judgemental is her eye, but Frisk knows that she’s probably thinking about the True Lab. Surprisingly, Undyne was the only one who didn’t say anything to Alphys when the royal scientist told them all the truth. But yes, there is fear in even her eye now.

 

Finally, Asgore speaks up, still holding Toriel’s stare.

 

“... The children.” After receiving some blank stares, he amends that statement.

 

“The…” He lowers his voice (maybe he’s scared? horrified?). “The souls.”

 

“all six of ‘em,” Sans’ voice is unusually serious, and his gaze his fixated on his brother’s feet. “an’ their all awake, too.”

 

“Well, why haven’t we seen them yet?” Toriel shifts on the couch (angrily). Frisk clutches her arm, burying their face in her thick fur.

 

“Some of them are staying in Alphys’ lab downtown.” Asgore answers (hesitantly he’s hiding something what is he hiding).

 

“ _ SOME _ ?” When Papyrus finally speaks up, it’s in a questioning tone, one Sans wished wasn’t aimed towards him and his actions.

 

“We-well, you s-see, the gov-government they- uh- we-well y-yo-you see they-”

 

Sans saved her from that sentence. “some officials took the ones that were awake, i think it was three of ‘em.”

 

“They  _ kidnapped _ them?” Toriel’s voice trembled with some heavy emotion that Frisk couldn’t name (anger fear shame disgust hatred does she hate you?).

 

“That wasn’t the case at all,” Asgore stepped forwards again, hands raised halfway as if he was torn between trying to placate her or not. “Alphys had been given the lab when we mentioned the humans’ souls. I suppose it prompted the query between Alphys and some of the human scientists on whether or not we could revive them. And a month or so ago, three of them woke up.”

 

“when we told those official weirdos, they practically pounced on the three kiddos, whiskin’ ‘em off to wherever they are. couple o’ days later and the last three woke up, and they’ve been stayin’ in the spare rooms up in the lab.” Sans completed the story, moving his stare from Papyrus’ shoes to what he could see of Frisk’s face.

 

“And-and what about my children?” Toriel stumbled over the sentence, unconsciously shifting her arms so Frisk lay closer to her chest. However, Frisk lifted their head up, twisting it so they could look at the room’s occupants.

 

“relax, tori. technically, we’ve already started the process, starting with their souls.”

 

Frisk trembled. The idea of, well, Chara, having a soul scared them more than they’d like to admit (you’re a big kid now) for multiple reasons.

 

One was far more reasonable than the others: who knows what Chara could do with an actual soul and body of their own.

 

And maybe, just maybe, they would miss having something filling their head when they couldn’t sleep.

 

But they were roused from their thoughts when they felt that eyeless gaze resting upon them, and they snuggled deeper in Toriel’s embrace.  _ Goatmom _ , they think warmly (mom true mom sorry mom).

 

They woke up as the car came to a halt, with their face smooshed against the cool glass as rain pelted against it. They were downtown, outside of Alphys’ lab, after Toriel had asked (demanded scary no yelling) to come to see her children, the three awakened ones (not hers not hers).

 

Maybe Frisk should have noticed that. It had been one month since Chara’s voice had changed almost invertedly, going from quiet narrations of the surface to these broken words.

 

The moment they entered the quiet lab, there were light footsteps heading their way. Three forms were illuminated as Alphys flicked the light switch, highlighting the cozy area they had entered.

 

They knew them, Frisk realized. Maybe not personally or by name, but they could guess their SOULs just by looking at them.

 

And so they did, pointing at each in turn.

 

“Patience.” The slight girl on the left with her hair tied up in a faded ribbon.

 

“Kindness.” The thicker boy in the middle wearing the stained apron.

 

“And Integrity.” The tall, willowy girl on the right, feet clad in those pink ballet shoes.

 

“Ac-actually, they go by the-their actual names, now,” Alphys said from behind them. So they did. After the awkward introductions (the children clearly knew all of the monsters there), Laurence headed back to the kitchen, while Kara went in the direction of what Alphys called the training room/studio. Scarlett stayed with the group of visitors as they headed deeper into the ‘lab’ area of the building.

 

Alphys and Scarlett led them down a hallway connecting with the open kitchen and dining area (home no home prison no) that ended in a set of sterile looking double doors. As they headed down the carpeted path, Frisk could have sworn Chara was getting louder.

 

(fog glass help please free look)

 

(green blue light blue )

 

(Awake Asleep Dead Where)

 

They were definitely getting louder. Frisk rubbed their temples as the doors automatically opened, but then it was quiet. Oh, Frisk could still  _ feel _ Chara there, but it was like they were holding their breath.

 

Tanks. Eight of them. Six were empty. But the last two…

 

One held a floor of soil, and the drooping form of a golden flower, a face Frisk had thought they would never see again.

 

The other held a body they had never actually seen outside of photos and drawings, although the face had always been blocked out in those. It looked like a young girl, with light brown hair framing the face. She had pale skin, with somehow rosy cheeks, and long lashes. The sweater she wore was practically the opposite of Frisks, with green and yellow stripes, and brown pants. But Frisk knew who she was (they bad girl), or rather, “they”, as they had told Frisk when they had first met.

 

“Chara, and… ” Toriel sobbed out, one hand reaching forward as if to grasp the sleeping child while her eyes looked into the other tanks. “Where is my son?”

 

“he’s right there,” Sans said, gesturing at the flower. “he, uh, became a flower.”

 

“Ah,” Toriel said faintly. “Ahahaha!” Frisk stepped away from her, backing up into Sans’ arm.

 

“You’re telling me,” She said between disbelieving laughs. “That my child is a  _ flower _ ?”

 

“We buried him in the flowers, remember?” Asgore said softly, pleadingly. The two missed Alphys’ flinch.

 

“the problem is with the human. their SOUL had been scattered with the other fallen children. we don’t have all of it.”

 

Scarlett turned to Frisk. “We all had a fragment, even though not all of us actually heard this Chara. So… you’re the last one.”

 

(You wouldn’t dare get rid of me…. You’re too weak)

 

Frisk scowled at the ground, fists curling up at their sides. The gathered monsters plus Scarlett watched them with bated breath.

 

(You’re practically useless without me, face it. No wonder you fell down in the first place)

 

Frisk felt something cold and hot settle in their gut as they gave a sharp nod to the royal scientist in the room.

 

What they wouldn’t give to get rid of Chara.

 

**You would-**


	2. Look good with

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a week. And something's felt off.   
> Who knows how their next conversation will end.

To be completely honest, Frisk didn’t regret their decision. In fact, Frisk was relieved at the prospect of not having to share headspace with a ghost. Relieved.

 

Not mildly worried.

 

Nope.

 

Not at all.

 

Not even as they sat at the worn oak table in the warm house they’d moved into five months ago, pushing their fork around their plate of warm rice. They kicked their feet in the air, too short to be able to touch the ground, before swinging them onto the seat of the chair to their left. They allowed themselves a small smile, the beloved expression bringing a soft glow into their eyes. Toriel would’ve yelled at them if she was there.

 

Toriel didn’t tell them where they were going, just swept out of the house with a quick peck on the cheek, and maybe Frisk’s heart ached a little from that. They leaned their head back against the rear of the chair, their sigh echoing throughout the empty house. Pushing the plate away, they hopped off of the wooden seat, bare feet catching on the polished floor and keeping them from slipping. They carried their plate to the countertop in the kitchen, knowing it would probably be saved for leftovers in anticipation of a later date.

 

Quiet.

 

Quite…

 

Quiet.

 

It took a moment, and with a start Frisk realized it: they were lonely. Ever since they had visited the lab, about a week ago, everything had been near silent. Toriel was out often until odd hours, taking any of the usual visitors with her. And the one thing Frisk thought they would never miss: the voice of a murderous child scorning them in their own head.

 

They padded out of the kitchen, first up the stairs into their bedroom, slipping socks over their cold toes. Then, they made their way past the guest bedroom and master bedroom, towards the bathroom on the upper floor. Frisk flipped the light on as they entered, shutting the door and leaning against it. They locked it, never knowing when someone would come home. In silence, they paced, looking at the mirror and biting their lip in thought multiple times.

 

Frisk finally stopped and stared, eyeing their reflection, bracing for anything. But nothing happened. After all this time, it was still them.

 

They kept staring, looking deep enough into their own eyes to make themselves uncomfortable.

 

“C’mon.” They muttered.

 

Nothing. Not a whisper at the back of their mind, not a glint in their eyes.

 

“Come on.” They hissed through their teeth. Something that felt like lava frothed in their gut and bubbled up their throat.

 

“ _ Damn it! _ ” They shouted, slamming their fist against the sink. A sharp pain registered on their pinky finger, and upon further examination, they found a thin line of split skin, blood dripping out. Frisk sagged, resting their forehead upon the cool marble surface, as their eyes landed on the silver blades of the nearby razor.

 

A hand landed on their shoulder. A shriek escaped Frisk’s mouth as they twisted around, back hitting the edge of the counter. Nothing. No one. They turned back around, shutting their eyes and rubbing the side of their face. Their hand froze. Frisk went to scrub their cheek again. They couldn’t move. Their eyes flew open and locked onto the mirror.

 

Nothing. There was nothing- no, there. Right there; the ghostly outline of what looked like a hand, clasped around their wrist. Against their will, Frisk’s body relaxed, and the invisible grip loosened, enough for the hand to guide Frisk through the motions of cleaning the cut.

 

“I was,” Frisk swallowed. “Calling you.” Four words, but why were they so hard to get out?

 

“Hmm.” Was the response, floating around their head. Frisk tilted their head, as their hand grabbed one of the Mickey Mouse band-aids under the sink.

 

“Do-do you know, like y’know-” Frisk stammered. They were so ready to talk when they walked in here; what happened?

 

“I know you want something.” The presence guiding them grew colder, a tad bit forceful as Frisk moved to wet the washcloth.

 

“I- I mean,” A cold hand pressed down on their chest, almost forcing them to take deeper breaths. “I just wanted to know if you, uh, you knew.” Chara was silent for a moment, having Frisk wring out the cloth, shaking out the excess water. Frisk took the time to continue.

 

“About where you are.” Frisk’s head moved slightly, from side to side. Crap, in Frisk’s panic they had given Chara more control than they wanted.

 

“I’m-I am really, really sorry,” Their body tensed up. “It’s all my fault because I was angry and I don’t even know if you wanted to be here and I-I.” Deep breathes deep breaths.

 

It was quiet.

 

“I’m so tired.” Came the voice again, fainter this time.

 

“Chara?” Frisk ventured, nervous.

 

“If I’m so tired…” Chara trailed off. Frisk gnawed on their lip.

 

“Why do I feel like I’m waking up?”

 

**Look good with-**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may have seen the updates on my Tumblr and Twitter about writing this chapter.  
> It's a little short because I needed to separate my first and last chapters with something, and I've been really tired recently.
> 
> Here's my twitter: [https://twitter.com/fanficptsd](url)  
> and here's my Tumblr: [https://www.tumblr.com/blog/fanficptsd](url)

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on my tumblr @fanficptsd  
> Or on my twitter, also @fanficptsd, where I will post updates about the series


End file.
